


Redemption

by Ribena93



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:22:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ribena93/pseuds/Ribena93
Summary: The war is over and students are returning to Hogwarts.Draco is befriended by whirlwind of a wizard.Draco falls in love.But it isn't an easy ride,,,
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Work in progress!   
> I will add warnings and tags as the story evolves.  
> Go easy on me!  
> <3

Draco stared at the piercing reflection in front of him. His future had been written long before he was born and now, as he struggles to get a grasp on reality, he is no longer bound by the family’s dark expectations.   
The war was over.  
Lucius was gone.  
Narcissa was pardoned.  
Draco was lost.


	2. Chapter 2

Present day

Currently Draco was struggling to work up the nerve to enter Kings cross station. It was the 1st of September and Hogwarts had reopened for a new year. Students were invited back to finish their 7th year along with those younger students ready and eager to start learning.   
“Move out of the way”, a small middle-aged woman said as she barged him out of the way to get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. How easy it was.

Get a grip of yourself Draco. You have been cleared of all charges. He has not ruined you.

Draco walked through the train station until he reached the entrance for platform 9 and 3 quarters. Standing in front of the wall was non other than Harry Potter. The urge to make a snide comment was overwhelming, but Draco was no longer the boy who hated irrationally. Harry sent a small smile towards Draco who stared with a slight twitch to his lip, almost a smile but so unfamiliar it felt foreign.   
Walking through the wall and across the platform, Draco kept his head down and tried his very best to ignore the glares and whispered truths that followed his movements. After all, Draco does carry the dark mark still. He was a death eater. Even if it was forced.   
Draco neared the trains doors and slowed his pace as the crowd was becoming thicker as students and parents were sharing tearful goodbyes. He made It onto the Hogwarts express and found an empty compartment. 

Best to stay alone. Nobody wants to associate with a death eater. 

As Draco was lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear the door open and a body throw them selves onto the seat next to Draco whilst slamming the door shut and closing the blinds. All with wandless magic. Impressive.   
The young man had short brown hair and brown eyes that were hypnotising. His skin was flawless and he had a bone structure that anyone would be jealous of. He was so captivating and beautiful that Draco missed what he was saying at first.   
“Blimey! Some fourth year girls have gone mental with that new love potion, they’re chasing after any eligible bachelor in sight!”, the boy turned to Draco and grinned at him, “Hi, the names Harper! Eligible bachelor at your service. Mind if I hide in here for a bit?”  
Draco looked at the young man, confused and bewildered. Harper was, in Draco’s eyes, the most attractive person he had ever laid eyes on.   
Holding his hand out, still in shock and awe, “Draco” he paused slightly and almost whispered “Malfoy”. Harper took it with enthusiasm, “I know, we’ve been in the same classes since first year. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you, obviously you’ve had a lot going on.”  
Draco’s face took a stony look as he tried to supress the self-loathing in front of company. Harper sensing the tense mood carries on talking about the most random of topics from puking pastels to Puddlemere united, all the way to Hogwarts. 

Maybe there was a shining light this year. In the form of Harper.


	3. Chapter 3

It was difficult for Draco to be around people. The constant eyes watching his every move. The not so quiet whispers and name calling. Half of the population don’t care if they offend the death eater, half are too scared to offend the death eater.

During the welcome feast, Draco has taken up residence at the very end of the Slytherin table. Nobody from his own house has uttered a word to him in the hour they have all been sat. Draco tries to enjoy the feast, but all he can think about is how bloody ridiculous it all is. With the headmistress’s speech about to begin, he is thinking of a way to sneak out. As he is deliberating between feigning sick or summoning an elf to apparate him away, he looks across the room to the Ravenclaw table to see Harper smirking at him. He nods his head towards the doors that were open, gets up and disappears through them within a blink of an eye. Draco, not wanting to stay and listen to McGonagall drone on about his murky past, does the same and disappears through the door hoping not to be seen.

Harper is nowhere to be seen as Draco walks down the corridor. As he wanders around, not entirely sure as to where to go now he has escaped the feast, he hears footsteps walking from the doors of the hall belonging to a professor.

Suddenly, from behind a tapestry, a hand pops out to grab a hold of Draco’s arm. The hand drags him into the tapestry, which is all very confusing to him, and then its pitch black and he’s stood in a secret nook with someone’s hand over his mouth and a body touching his from chest to toe. Draco tried not to freak out, a million scenarios running through his head. Flashbacks of times when he lived along Voldemort and hid to avoid the torture and death. As the footstep got closer, Draco’s heart was beating faster and faster, almost as if it was trying to escape the terror unveiling.

“shh, it’s ok. You’re safe.” Draco felt lips at his ear, easing his panic. As the soft word continued at his right ear, there was a gentle hand caressing his neck on the left.

“Come back to me love. You’re ok, it’s me, Harper.” Draco’s heart rate was slowing, and he was coming back to the present. He relished in the close human contact and affection, that had long since gone from his life, a little longer before coughing awkwardly and stepping back.

“Sorry, I…” Draco started but didn’t know how to finish.

Harper put a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, don’t worry about it. Pretty inconsiderate of me to pull you into a tiny space without warning so...”

Draco was perplexed. How could Harper be blaming himself? Again his actions had caused sadness in another kind-hearted person.

_You live to fail. See how you make the good fall._

“It’s not your fault…” Draco moved away and climbed out from behind the tapestry, “I have to go.”

“Draco” Harper called after him.

Draco turned to look back at Harper, “Do yourself a favour and forget you met me.”

With that, Draco turned and walked towards the dorms and away from Harpers crestfallen look.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco stood in front of the sink staring. His dark mark black against pale white skin. An obnoxious cuckoo sounded from the bedroom which startled him back to the present and he rolled his sleeve down hiding the shame to finishing washing his hands. All returning 7th years have been given the privilege of their own bedroom and bathroom as to help them adjust to life after Hogwarts, which was very convenient for a student who wishes to remain isolated. The alarm was to signal the first lesson of the day, successfully having avoided breakfast, so Draco grabbed his bag and put on his cloak to begin his journey to potions.

Upon entering the classroom, he took his place at a desk hoping he could blend into the background. As his luck was not particularly in this favour, the rest of the class filtered in and a dazzling smile cloaked in Ravenclaw robes spots him and makes a beeline.

“Morning Draco, mind if I sit here?” Harper aimed that dazzling smile straight into Draco’s icy heart. Clearing his throat, Draco started to tell him he would rather he didn’t, “I…”

“Settle down everybody! Take a seat and let us begin.” Professor Slughorn commanded the room, and Harper got comfy in the seat next to Draco.

As Slughorn droned on about what the year entails, being NEWT year, Draco could feel the body heat from Harper passing through the smallest space where their knees almost touched gaining his concentration. Draco thought to himself that his reactions to this boy were ridiculous. Not that him being a boy was an issue in the wizarding world, any thoughts of homophobia were squashed out way before Draco was alive. It was more the thought that he didn’t deserve someone as seemingly kind-hearted and good as Harper had portrayed to be. Draco’s life and reputation were already ruined. Draco didn’t want to be the one to tarnish Harper’s reputation and ruin his life too. The problem was Harper’s shining personality and dazzling smile that had plagued Draco’s dreams the night before and his insistency at wanting to capture Draco’s attention for some reason.

There was no other choice now, but to work together in potions, as Slughorn had already dictated that partners were now permanent for the year. So Draco put on a brave face and started the prepare the cauldron as Harper went to collect the ingredients. The conversation went much like the one on the train, with Harper dominating but Draco started to add bits here and there. Both boys worked seamlessly together, pre-empting the others moves and created a perfect early stage of the PepperUp potion by the end of the lesson.

It seemed as the week went on Harper was in every one of Draco’s classes and chose to sit with him in every single one. This sparked the curiosity in other students, and he found himself at the other end of many confused, calculated, disgusted and concerned stares wherever he went. His only reprieve from this was his own dormitory. His safe heaven so to speak.

Harper had managed to wangle his way into Draco’s cold exterior with his endless warmth and constant chatter during lessons. He was even finding him during free time and had taken to sitting with Draco at the Slytherin table during evening mealtimes, regardless of the glares from every house other than the actual Slytherin’s. Which was nice, to know that his house was more willing to prove they aren’t all death eaters and can tolerate other people.

This constant contact with Harper had hacked at Draco’s walls, shutting everyone out, and Draco found himself enjoying the familiar presence of the Ravenclaw wonder boy more than being alone.

_This good thing must have a time limit. How much longer will it be till Harper realises I’m just a ticking time bomb ready to destroy._


	5. Chapter 5

Draco made his way down the corridor to the potion’s lab one Thursday morning. He was oddly excited at the thought of seeing Harper’s beautiful smile today, a feeling he wasn’t used to having.

Suddenly, there was a whizzing sound accompanied by a sharp sting on his arm. Draco turned around in a circle looking for an inkling of a direction it came from, when he heard someone whisper, “Expelliarmus” and his wand fly from his sleeve onto the ground a few meters away.

A group of, what looked to be, Gryffindor fifth years slowly began to move closer forming a circle around the blonde-haired boy.

“Death eaters don’t belong here” one said.

“They should be locked away to rot” another joined.

“We have to teach them a lesson” one smirked.

And just like that, the group rushed towards Draco, pushing him to the ground. They began to kick and punch, stomp and crush on his fragile body. Bones were breaking and the pain was excruciating. No that was wrong, when one of them used the Cruciatus on him… now that was excruciating.

Draco was transported back to a time when Lord Voldemort thought it best to teach him a lesson. His misdemeanours of the day being that he wouldn’t use an unforgivable on Loony Lovegood who resided in the dungeons. In front of an audience of his fathers nearest and dearest, Draco was treated to the Cruciatus curse performed by his aunt on himself. The pain was like no other, a constant torture that left room only for the begging of one’s death.

With tears mixing with blood, Draco came back to himself in the, now empty, hallway. Alone. His body felt too weak to move but judging by the noise flowing down the corridor he had to move quick or risk having to explain. Draco didn’t want to explain. Especially because what ever torture came his way, he believed he deserved.

A lifetime of cruelness to make up for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a hot minute... *hides*
> 
> CHAPTER WARNINGS!  
> SMUT AHEAD... I REPEAT, SMUT AHEAD... (however badly written!).

Draco didn’t leave his room for the next few days. He could barely breath, thanks to a few broken ribs, never mind walk until now. It was a good thing that house elf’s volunteered to work at Hogwarts now, otherwise he feared no-one would realise he was no longer attending meal times in the great hall and there would be no-one to bring potions and tonics to help him heal. 

He was well and truly defeated. Draco believed this world was no longer a world for him. How could it be when he once sought to destroy everything good. 

Whilst he lay in just his sleep pants, contemplating life and staring into nothing, there was a knock on the door. He slowly limped to the door, ‘Who’s there?’.

‘Draco? It’s Harper, let me in.’ A soft voice echoed through the solid oak door.   
Draco opened the door letting a sleep rumpled Harper through, closing it behind him.

Harper was facing his bed with his back towards the blonde, His voice becoming louder and more frantic, ‘I was just about to drop off to sleep when I decided I just had to find you! I’ve been worried sick! Why haven’t you been in class? I asked around and… well to be honest, I got quite a few funny looks, but no-one had seen you!’. He turned around and his face turned into one of shock and horror, ‘OH MERLIN, what happened? Who did this? Why are you just standing there, clearly in pain?! SIT DOWN!’

Draco should be used to the amount of words coming out of Harpers mouth at once, but the panic and worry in his voice shook him to his core.   
‘I’m fine, don’t worry about it.’ Draco started only to be cut off.

‘You are not fine, Draco Malfoy!’ Harpers voice quietened with tears starting to form in his eyes.

Draco walked forward holding out a hand as if to capture the tears with his thumb but stopped, ‘I…’.

Harper took a step closer to Draco, closing the gap between them even further putting a hand over Draco’s heart, ‘You are not fine.’ 

The look in Harpers eyes shone with something he wasn’t able to recognise, but it made something in Draco shift. In quick succession, he placed his hand around the side of Harpers neck thumbing his jawline and leaned in. Draco’s cold lips met Harpers warmth. An instance of joy filled his heart as Harpers soft lips moved in sync with his own. Harper’s hand snaked around Draco’s waist and pulled his body closer. Both were pressed against each other feeling everything which made Harper moan softly. This spurred Draco on to trail his other hand up and into Harper hair. Draco couldn’t get enough, everything else slipped away and all he could feel was Harper. 

They slowly moved towards the bed, where Draco lay gently on his back and Harper moved to straddle him, all whilst trying not to aggravate any of his injuries. Somehow during this process, Harper’s t-shirt had disappeared, and all Draco could feel was skin on skin and the cold of Harpers chain dangling against his chest. They couldn’t get enough of each other; tongues duelling, hand exploring. Harper pushed his throbbing erection against Draco’s making Draco moan out load catching them both of guard, ‘Fuck, please…’, Harper’s hooded eyes stared into his as he started moving harder and quicker. Both eager to get to utter bliss. It didn’t take long for them both to reach their climax, moaning each other’s names in a moment of sordid euphoria. They both cuddled into the other, not uttering a single word, just enjoying the silent walls of their passion. 

Draco believed in that moment, he deserved love, and he had love to give. 

But that couldn’t last forever, right?


End file.
